Both occasions have been a great success for the Pope and the Church.
The consistory held last Saturday ( 19/11/2016 ) to create the seventeen cardinals
( in fact the 16 cardianals as Lesotho's 87-year-old failed du turn up due to sudden illness) was a triumph that marked the dynamism that marked the gathering of faithful from the five conyinents. The assembly that packed St Peter's Basilica to full capacity, and thousands of other enthusiasts had to follow on mega-screens from outside, was very warmly cheerful. Among those present were the Central African Republic President, the Prime Minister of Mauritius Islands, thirteen govenrment delegations, cardinals, diplomats, bidhops, representatives of various religious bodies, and thousands of faithful from all over the globe. The Cenral African Republic brought a very colourful delegation of 200 people among whom the President, several Ministers, the Chief Imam of the Islamic community, the Head of the Protestant Pentecostal churches, bishops, priests, religious, and many dgnitaries. Hundreds of diaspora communities including those from neighbouring countries joined them, all coming from far and wide to greet, salute and cheer Cardinal Dieudonné Nzapalainga who at the same time was being feted all over the country as the entire nation watched live the ceremonies from the Vatican. The other African cardinal who was equally warmly surrounded was Cardinal Maurice Piat of Mauritius Island. He was accompanied by the Prime Minister, seven cabinet ministers, civil and religious dignitaries, and a pilgrimage numbering over 500 individuals including his residence-cleaner and his driver! Hundreds of others from diaspora ( including Hindus ) also made it to make a total of 2,000 pilgrims!!
Lesotho's new cardinal, the old Bishop Sebastian Koto Khoarai, couldn't travel due to a sudden illness. He will be decorated by the Papal Nuncio in a special ceremony in Lesotho.
The Rome ceremony began with the entry in the Basilica of the sixteen new cardinals. They were received by deafening cheers and ululations from especially the Central African Republic delegation and other African faithful present. Before the Pope carried out the official ceremony during which he gave each new cardinal a red hat, a ring, and an official bull containing the decree defining and describing his appointment , etc.. there were holy readings carried out, and the taking of the oath of obedience, and the homily by the Pope in which he underlined the status of a cardinal. He also called on the faithful to pray for the enemies and to have occasions to reach them and talk to them. After the Pope's sermony each cardinal moved to the Pontifical Throne to receive the charismas of his mission/dignity. Each one was very loudly cheered by the faithful and by his delegation. African vibrant cheers / ululations won the day and much of the European press has commented on them!!
The new prelates were then led to mix with their old colleagues with whom they now form the Holy Sacred College of Cardinals, one of the most prestigious institutions in the whole world! At the end of the ceremony the new cardinals together with the Pope were driven in two mini-buses and taken to retired Pope Benedict XVI's residence within the Vatican. Benedict XVI received them very warmly in his chapel. he prayed with them for a few minutes and he gave them his blessing. Then they returned to join their home groups with whom they stayed for the rest of the day.
Then Sunday ( 20/11/2016 ) was the day when Pope Francis officially closed the Holy Jubilee Year of Mercy. he symbolically closed the Holy Door at St Peter's Basilica. A few minutes later he presided over Holy Mass surrounded by cardinals, hundreds of bishops, and over a thousand priests. In the attendence was the Italian President and the President of the Cenral African Republic, thirteen govenment delegations, representatives of various religious organizations, and an astimated 200,000 people who packed St Peter's Square. Many pilgrims from various countries held their national flag. After Mass the Pope greeted the dignitaries present as well as the cardinals around before he toured the entire Square in his papamobile waving and saluting the tens of thousands of pilgrims present.
In the course of the week the new cardinals will be travelling home where a triumphant welcome is at the ready for each one of them. Arrangements have been put in motion to ensure a smooth movement of Cardinal Nzapalainga from the airport to his cathedral. Last month when news of his appointment broke out hundreds of thousands of people from the entire city of Bangui and neighbouring areas invaded the streets of the capital and security was difficult to administer, a tjhing which took Archbishop Nzapalainga's car four and half hours to reach the cathedral from his residence just a few kilometres away! People were madly swarming around his car and with intent to physically lift it up from the ground!!
Only one cardinal is a simple priest and has decided to remain so although the Church constitution recommends all cardinals to be bishops. In the case of this 87-year-old Reverend Father Ernest Simoni from Albania who has been awarded a cardinalate to appreciate the heroic martyrdom he went through during the rule of the Communist regime the Pope wanted to glorify the heroism of a humble priest who is ever ready to undergo sacrifice for the good of his faith. He will continue to remain a simple priest but wearing the scarlet as a cardinal. In France such cases have been witnessed with the elevation to the rank of cardinal of such very eminent theologians as Rev Fr Congar and Rev Fr Henri de Lubac. They became cardinal at ninety and were decorated while in their wheel-chairs. They remained priests until they died as cardinals. Mzee Cardinal Ernest Simoni was also very wildly cheered at the ceremony.
Dr G.H. Kkolokolo ( Paris / France )
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